Tag Archives: Art

SafeLaunch returns to Santa Ynez Airport Day with a Crazy Pilot, Paint and a Message on Saturday, May 21

Pilots and future pilots attending last year’s Santa Ynez Airport Day were stunned to see one pilot encourage kids to paint bright images all over his airplane! This Saturday, May 21 from 10am-3pm, he’ll be back.

Almost every pilot who witnessed the throng of enthusiastic kids painting the white Cessna Skylane last year thought that he must be crazy. He may well be, but there is a mission and a method to his madness. It’s called SafeLaunch and it is the name of the nonprofit Ron Cuff co-founded with Janet Rowse, wife of Santa Barbara City Councilmember Randy Rowse.

SafeLaunch, the name that implies launching kids safely into adulthood without the burden of addiction was derived from the thousands of safe launches from aircraft carriers that Commander Cuff witnessed and participated in while serving as a Naval Aviator.

SafeLaunch is the nation’s one and only nonprofit of its kind, 100% dedicated to primary prevention. According to Cuff, “Parents need to know that addiction affects over 23 million Americans and that 90% of it starts in the teen years.” Janet Rowse emphasizes the scientifically-proven vulnerability of teens’ developing brains– “This brain disease is almost 100% preventable, so it isn’t good enough to hope that your child will make a good decision whenever an opportunity presents itself,” she says. “Parents need information and tools to protect their children’s developing brains and futures, which is what SafeLaunch provides”.

Regardless of the “crazy pilot” moniker, Cuff can’t be dissuaded. “Hey, I’ve got a blank canvas that flies, and we tell kids that painting a life free from addiction is the way to go. All they need is a destination, a flight plan and a clear head.”

Winged Dream Machine Helps Teach Addiction-free Lesson

An airplane-as-metaphor for “the vast possibilities that a life without addiction holds” is helping a California nonprofit steer youngsters away from early exposure to drug abuse.

SafeLaunch, of Santa Barbara, California, taps resources of education, art, and aviation to preempt the damage that drug or alcohol abuse can inflict on its most vulnerable prey: children.

When exposed to alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, “children are up to six times more vulnerable to the brain disease of addiction than adults,” SafeLaunch says, citing information from addiction education organization Casa Columbia. That means all children. Forget about demographic or socioeconomic sub-categories, or common notions of at-risk populations. When it comes to the vulnerability of children to addiction, labels don’t apply.

About 90 percent of the time, addiction begins in the teen years, SafeLaunch says. By facing down addiction for what it is—”a preventable brain disease”—SafeLaunch believes addiction can be defeated.

In 2012, teen photographers from the SafeLaunch Media $500 Contest met with people in recovery at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, and read their stories. Teen artists then artistically interpreted the portraits and the stories. The message is loud and clear: Avoid early first exposure to alcohol and drugs. As the poet-philosopher Noah BenShea says, “Addiction is a powerful teacher, but the tuition is your life.”

“All of the participants have played an important role in raising awareness of the increased risk that teens have to addiction,” SafeLaunch co-founder Janet Rowse said. “The impact of the personal stories of the people in recovery who participated is evident in the art and photography by these talented students.”